Lucasfilm Marketing Guy: Whaddaya say we release the original films?

George Lucas: No. They don't "exist" anymore.

Lucasfilm Marketing Guy: What are you talking about? You have the original pristine copies sitting under your bed.

George Lucas: You know what I mean. They don't "exist" for consumers to buy. I've "improved" the original films.

Lucasfilm Marketing Guy: Look, George. I don't want to tell you how to run your business, but you're wasting a huge opportunity here. DVD will be obsolete -- dead -- in a few years. People are going to have to upgrade to something else, like a holographic floating dot player, or something. Anyway, I figure, by releasing the original films on DVD, you can make enough money to finance all of your stupid pet projects, like your "Red Tails" movie, without having to touch your other gigantic pile of money.

George Lucas: But didn't we say that it was the last chance to own the original trilogy?

Lucasfilm Marketing Guy: Yes, on VHS. Now we're talking about DVD.

George Lucas: But what about all the cheesy models and non-CGI characters?

Lucasfilm Marketing Guy: (with dollar signs in his eyes) Don't worry about it, George. Those suckers, I mean fans, will eat this shit up.

Of course they do. Don't you know who I am?

lamphorn the magnificent?

It's not "new" per se. It's different.

Say whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat??

Why don't you keep your snide remarks to yourself.

but thats just it. Lucasfilm and Fox have made no announcement. I trust dvdanswers, but even they admit to not knowing any details. That picture hasn't even been on the net for 24 hours and people are freaking out... Details will come shortly, I assume most of the major sites (dvdanswers, davisdvd, thebits) and so on will have announcements tommorow...Then a few days later Fox will give everyone specs.

Well, I was around when they came out and I honestly don't remember people going bonkers like they do whenever a Star Wars films gets re-released. A few quibbles from people who didn't know about the EE. But that's about it.

Like I said, I have no problem with the way they were released, but you had to know New Line had dollar signs in their eyes when they looks at the DVD release schedule, and that fans would buy both, well, most fans. But that doesn't bother me either. It's the way things are.

Not really, because it was still done for money. Doesn't matter to me whether it's announced or not. I'll decide whether to double dip if it's worth it. If not, I won't. However, the gift set didn't really need to be put together at all in my opinion.

Well, I think they're well made films. But I don't particularly care for them. I just find the characters and story boring, through no fault of Peter Jackson. It just does nothing for me. I have other criticisms but I didn't bring that up here, and I think I've done a good job of not continually beating people over the head with the fact that I didn't care for them, save for a couple of times. I rarely frequent LOTR threads for fear of pissing off LOTR fans.

I'm just talking about the DVD release and what I see as a double standard, not just with LOTR but with other films as well.

Well, it just sounded condescending. I don't even know the guy, so I would say I loved him. I'm just a big fan and supporter, and I think he takes far more shit than he deserves. No worries though. Sorry for being crotchety. It's been a bad day.

DJ

oh gosh... i'm just glad that we got the 4 disc set first rather than the 3 disc one... i mean it could be worse - they could've released the 3 disc set and then pull a fast one with the 4 disc set and i'm sure almost EVERYONE would buy it again just for the bonus disc...

These are some crazy motherfu*kers!

I understand the multiple releases in time for Christmas, and if you don't like it dont buy it, that is fine.

But, to not release the O-OT on DVD for the fans that MADE Star Wars the saga it was, and supported it through the years so the PT could be made, I really think it is disingenious.

It is so easy to make everyone happy, it boggles my mind. If they released the O-OT in December, that would make the OT crowd happy, and they would never complain again. The SE which better ties with the PT came out last year, so they would have that edition to keep them happy. Then in 2007 when Lucas releases the ULTRA 6 disc saga DVD, he can change whatever he wants, and no one would complain.

It is funny that right after Episode III came out, Lucas said there were two generations of Star Wars fans: Over 25 and Under 25, generally speaking, we always saw it, and it proves that he sees it. Unfortunately I think he is forgetting about the over 25 crowd. Oh well, I guess we can just keep wishing........

More marketing BS. Thanks but I'll pass.

Who thinks that if this thread wasn't about 'Star Wars' being released, that this wouldn't have accumulated so much debate and so many pages worth of posts already?

*raises hand*

This kind of thing happens ALL OF THE TIME. They're re-releasing the Star Wars boxed set in new packaging for the holiday season. How can you complain about a re-marketing scheme for something that sells as well as Star Wars for CHRISTMAS? Once again, it happens ALL OF THE TIME. Not everybody has this set yet, and for those who don't, it's a good timed present for the holidays. If anybody who already owns the original DVD set with the bonus disc buys this new set, well it's their own fault if they throw away their money isn't it? If you don't want to dip, don't! But I don't see this much of a heated debate over most of the other double dips that are out there. Star Wars is always getting crapped on and you're all entitled to your own opinions about the films and which version you like the best but for the love of god do we REALLY need to have this discussion AGAIN?! It's the same thing every time a Star Wars thread starts up! Just leave that part of the discussion be, and as far as this double dip who cares?! You don't have to buy it!

The extras weren't guessed. Here's the full listing from Fox:

Specs: Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1 EX, Dolby Surround & THX / Spanish & French: Dolby Surround
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: WS: 2.35:1 / P&S: 1.33:1


Episodes-Bonus Features: Bonus Features:
Disc 1:
**Feature
**Commentary by George Lucas, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren and Carrie Fisher
**Easter Egg - Credit Roll

Disc 2:
**Feature
**Commentary by George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Lawrence Kasdan, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren and Carrie Fisher
**Easter Egg - Credit Roll

Disc 3:
**Feature
**Commentary by George Lucas, Lawrence Kasdan, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren and Carrie Fisher
**Easter Egg - Credit Roll

Episode Description:
Disc 1:
*Star Wars: A New Hope / Episode IV

Disc 2:
*Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back / Episode V

Disc 3:
*Star Wars: Return of the Jedi / Episode VI

Boy, I figured after 4 pages there'd be some good information here as to what's going on as I've never purchased any Star Wars, but would like to.. But all there is is the typical bickering. I'm with Dalvin (I believe it was him) when he said he'll wait for the 6 disc set! (I came in here hoping to find out if that's a possibility, and if not, to see what my best options are otherwise..)

Just curious but did Lucas leave the "Special Editions" moniker off the previous dvd release of the trilogy? I am one of the OT guys that held firm & did not buy the revised editions so I really don't know. There is no mention of the "Special Editions" on the new packaging so I was just curious...or has he dropped the "special editions" name since it is now the "true" trilogy in his eyes?

I think that if and when Lucas does release the OT (I do believe it will happen one day) that they would publicize the shit out of it. Since it hasn't been mentioned by them it appears I will have to wait longer. I am used to it by now though (but I have my anamorphic bootlegs to keep me company).

There is no mention of "special edition" anywhere on the last release. They just called them by the full titles (Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, etc). As far as I know that was the first time on any official release where all 3 movies went by those titles on the packaging.

Actually, that's not true. Long before the films had ever been released, and proved to be popular, at the point when people were still wondering whether the movies would be any good at all (let alone popular), it was built into Peter Jackson's contract that he would be allowed to do an extended cut of the films and release it on DVD. (In fact, it could've been rated R, but I think that, as it turned out, they would've had to be pretty violent for the MPAA to do that.)

And Jackson wanted to do that because of the sheer amount of story he had to cut out. At that point, *nobody* expected the movies would be as huge as they were.

That said, I really don't see any reason to be discussing 'Lord of the Rings' in a 'Star Wars' thread. And I certainly don't see how pointing to 'Lord of the Rings' as an example will ever make George Lucas and the DVD releases of 'Star Wars' come off better.

Quote:

Originally Posted by brianluvdvd

Just curious but did Lucas leave the "Special Editions" moniker off the previous dvd release of the trilogy? I am one of the OT guys that held firm & did not buy the revised editions so I really don't know. There is no mention of the "Special Editions" on the new packaging so I was just curious...or has he dropped the "special editions" name since it is now the "true" trilogy in his eyes?

I think that if and when Lucas does release the OT (I do believe it will happen one day) that they would publicize the shit out of it. Since it hasn't been mentioned by them it appears I will have to wait longer. I am used to it by now though (but I have my anamorphic bootlegs to keep me company).

How are the quality of the O-OT Bootlegs? You said they are anamorphic, so that sounds good, is the sound great? I know it isn't the quality of the DVD's that are out, but are they close to it? Thanks

Here's my reason for thinking that this release will be the original versions:

If you check out the documentary on the last set, you will see that all the footage they use in it is from the original, non-special editions - AND it's been cleaned up and looks as good as the special editions on the dvds. Now why would they also clean up these versions and not release them?

As for the commentaries - it looks like they're using the ones from the SE dvd, which would be easy enough to edit to fit the old versions.

Also, the new cover-shot makes it look all "old school" and everything too.


Anyways, that's just my crazy theory, that I doubt is really the case...

From what I have read, the quality ranges since there are so many bootlegs out there to choose from. I rented the new releases of Star Wars & Empire from Netflix after they came out to check out the transfer & the bootlegs come no where close to the detail, blackness level, etc. that the official version do. The newest transfers make the films look like they were made yesterday while the bootlegs look like rips of the laserdiscs (which they are). The sound is fine but again no where near the level of the 5.1 of the newest releases. This is why I will always hope for a cleaned-up official release of the OT.

The bootlegs get you by but they will never match the official releases. Luckily I don't have time to watch the films as often as I did when I was a child or teen-ager so it doesn't bother me to not have the good-looking but butchered new versions.

Interesting ideas, but Luca$ has stated countless times that the newest versions out are the only versions ever to be out. Unless he decides to touch up or change some parts

I would rate mine as about that of a VHS tape. It works for me.

I'm not going to get my hopes up about this release. I understand I don't have to buy it, but something does not sound right here. If it comes out that there is something different about these discs, I will probably buy it (other than cover art).

I'm going to wait for the 13-disc set. 2 DVDs per movie plus a bonus DVD ala the Alien Quadrilogy seems not too far fetched since it's FOX. You never know. It could happen.